ssignment task:
Conduct an interview with a person at least 65 years of age. You may conduct the interview through FaceTime/Zoom/phone; however, you may NOT email the person the questions and ask them to reply with their responses. In paragraph style, give a summary about content of the interview and discuss your reaction to the assignment.
Introduction (approximately one-two paragraphs) Provide a brief demographic background about the person you interviewed. Include their name/nickname, age/birthday, relationship to you, etc. Explain why you chose to interview them for this assignment.
Interview Questions (approximately one-three pages) Provide a summary of the responses to the interview questions. Do not number the questions and provide verbatim responses. Your summary should be written in a way that makes it clear which interview question you are responding to.
Correct format: "When I asked Maria about her childhood, she shared that she grew up in the city and lived in a small apartment with her parents and 2 brothers."
1. Please tell me about your childhood, family and school life. What is your fondest memory of your childhood?
2. Do you consider yourself old? At what age (or stage in life) did you notice yourself getting older?
3. What is the most important historical event or period of time that you have lived through? How did it influence you personally? (This must be a common historical event, such as Vietnam War, 9/11, Civil Rights Movement, etc. It CANNOT a personal event, such as a death, divorce, etc.)
4. What is the biggest change you have seen in how people conduct their everyday lives?
5. What have been the best years of your life so far? What are your plans for the future?
6. How are young people today different from when you were their age?
7. What advice would you give young people to help them prepare for old age?
8. Have you ever experienced any negative attitudes or discrimination because of your age? Explain.
9. Student question: Based on what you've learned about this person, ask at least 1 more question. (What else would you like to know about this person's life?)
Reaction Questions (approximately 4+ paragraphs total)
Written summary of these questions should be approximately one paragraph per question.
10. What did you learn from this interview? Did anything surprise you?
11. How did you feel during the interview? Do you think you would have felt differently interviewing a different older adult?
12. What changes (if any) have occurred in your perception of older adults? What did you think before? What do you think now?
13. Were there any questions you would have liked to ask, but felt uncomfortable doing so? Why?